Part 458: The Attack on Mia

3: 11 pm

Mia was getting incredibly nervous. She didn’t know what to think. Maybe they eloped to Las Vegas, maybe they were just having fun. She really didn’t know but she would have assumed Kate would have called her to let her know what had happened. The Lakota girl rubbed her cheeks and finally gave in. She picked up the phone and dialed Kate’s cellphone. She waited three rings and then got her answering service. The young woman rubbed her eye and sighed. “Kate, if you get this message, call me back. I just wanted to be sure everything is okay with you and Jack.” Mia said, before hanging up the phone.

Mia stood up and laughed at herself gently. Sometimes it was easy to fall into the mother hen role. Often her friends would joke that it was the role she was born to play. They all took care of her because she made it a habit to worry about everybody. Mia then walked over to the drapes, pushing them aside. She could heard the school bus getting nearer to drop off her daughter. The Lakota then calmly walked over and exited the building. She gently pushed the glass screen door aside and then stepped out to the porch.

The bus stopped up the street as it always did. Mia smiled as Shelley bid farewell to her school friends. The Lakota was happy that Shelley was always more outgoing than she had been at a young age. All Mia could count as true friends was the Granny that raised her. All the other times, she was busy writing in her journals. It was fun to watch the circle of life come back around again.

Shelley looked both ways as she crossed the street. She then walked into the front lawn, waving to her mother. Mia waved back, laughing. She couldn’t wait to hear what she had done at school. However, her story would have to wait.

Three black SUVs then screeched to a stop right in front of their front lawn; causing a minor amount of smoke to flood from their tires. Shelley squeaked and looked at them. From the SUV closest two her; three men and one woman emerged. They quickly ran over and snatched up the young girl. “SHELLEY!!!” Mia screamed as jumped off the porch and ran toward her.

The other SUV drivers emerged and then immediately open fired on Mia. The Lakota yelled as a bullet slammed into her left arm, slinging her to the grass. “MOOMMYYY!!” Shelley screamed as she disappeared into the black vehicle.

Mia grunted and quickly got to her feet. She had to take cover otherwise, she was going to get shot again. She ran back up to the porch and dove inside as bullets riddled her front desk. She landed hard on the floor, grunting as the blood from her wound dripped on her carpet. She quickly crawled into the kitchen. As Mia struggled to get to her feet, she could hear another SUV screeching away. She yelled in frustration over the fact that they had her daughter. However, she had to remind herself, she needed to stay alive in order to get her daughter back.

Mia then grunted as she stood up. By the time she did, she heard someone run into the kitchen. In one fluid motioned, she grabbed the hatchet off the secured ring above the stove, turned and threw it at her attacker. The bladed weapon flew through the air with the grace of a hawk and landed right in the center of the soldier’s forehead. He jerked as the blood began to spew on the side walls. By the time he flopped to the ground, Mia quickly found a large butcher knife. She knew there was another one coming. She had less than ten seconds to defend herself. “Please, Granny,” she whispered, “Don’t let me miss.”

Mia turned around as the other soldier fired on her. The bullet struck her leg near the upper thigh, missing her main artery. The Lakota screamed as she threw the blade toward the person. It almost sung a tune as it soared through the air, striking the man in the chest. He gagged in pain, feeling the metal sink deep into his lung. Mia collapsed, unable to stand. She gritted her teeth as she began to crawl on her attacker. The soldier coughed as he pulled the blade out, causing even more blood to spew from his chest. Mia then grabbed the blade again and then plunged it into the man’s stomach. “WHERE IS SHE?” she screamed.

The soldier yelled in agony, trying to hold the blood from his lung. “Please . “ he coughed.

Mia pulled out the knife and stabbed him again. “WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER?” she screamed in his face.

The soldier coughed as he fought for every last breath. Mia then pulled out the blade and held it over his heart. The soldier looked up at her eyes; the eyes of a woman turned savage. “Tell me where she is and I will ease your passing.” Mia hissed.

“Ha . . .Hanso Foundation . .down . .town.” the soldier coughed.

Mia then quickly got on her knees and reached over to the hatchet planted in the other man’s face. She then ribbed it out, grabbing the other man by the neck. She then held up the hatchet, getting ready to plunge it into the man’s face. The soldier screamed as the rammed the blade down. Mia took a deep breath and removed the hatchet after she killed the man. She struggled to get to her feet but her body was growing cold by the second. However, noting short of death would stop her now. The Lakota got to her feet and limped out of the house. She nearly fell down the stairs but she caught herself. She looked up the street to the direction where the SUVs went. She began to walk across her front lawn toward that direction, holding her wound.

Blood trickled down her arm as she made her way to the street. Her blood slowly poured out the wound in her leg but she kept walking. Mia’s heart was filled with hate; hate for Kamiyama, as she was most certain he was responsive. Hate for the people who took her daughter. Hate for the men who just shot her. She begged her Granny for forgiveness to the hate in her soul but she couldn’t help it. “That’s all right, Sunshine,” she could almost hear her grandmother whisper in her ear, “These vile men have forgotten the most fundamental rule of nature.”

“What’s that?” she grunted, as she continued to walk.

“A Lioness is most dangerous . . .when her cub is threatened.”

Mia winced under the pain but like always, her Granny could make her smile in the worst situations. “Amen.” She managed to whisper.

“Retrieve your daughter and make those men suffer for what they have done to you and your family,” Granny whispered in her head, “God be with you, Child.”

Mia continued walking, despite the massive amount of pain she was in. Her hair was over her face but she could still see enough to keep moving. She held onto her arm, feeling the warm blood escape her fingers. Then up ahead, she heard a screeching car. Mia then blinked when no car came. The Lakota then paused as her wounds were possibly messing up her hearing. She then realized the screeching car was not in front of her but behind her. “MIA!!!” John screamed as he brought his truck to a stop.

“John . .” she moaned as she turned around. Her husband quickly closed the distance between them.

He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the passenger side. “Oh, God, Oh, God,” he repeated over and over, “Hang on, Mia. I’ll get you to a hospital.”

“No!” she grunted as he put her in the seat.

“Mia, what? Don’t . . .don’t crazy, baby! You’re freaking shot!” the archer said, hysterically.

“John, they got . . .THEY GOT SHELLEY!” she yelled.

The gym teacher froze his tracks. Seeing his poor wife bleeding to death was hard enough but after what she just told him; he felt like his brain was about to explode. “Who . .who’s got Shelley?” he asked.

“Group of men . . one came by after you left . . .I knew he was up to something . . .John, one of the soldier’s mentioned . . .The Hanso Foundation.”

“Hanso? That’s . .the company that funded the Dharma Initiative.” He said, putting it all together.

“If you take me . . .to a hospital . . . .the cops will come and . . .they will delay us . . .if we have any chance to get Shelley back, it has to be . . .NOW!”

“But, but, but, Mia . . You’re SHOT!” he reminded her.

“Get me to . . Jack . . or Tony . . they can . .patch me up.”

John felt like he didn’t have time to argue. He had no reason to doubt his wife’s deductions to the situation. He quickly buckled her in and ran around the side of his truck. He quickly jumped into the driver’s seat and pulled the truck in drive. He started to screech down the street and cut a turn toward the right. Then all of a sudden, his cell phone started to ring. Before he could get it, Mia reached over and grabbed it with her good hand. She pressed the receive button and placed it to her ear. “Kate, is that you?” she asked.

“SIT, SIT, SIT.” A computerized voice echoed and then hung up the phone.

“Oh, my god, . . “ Mia whispered.

“Mia, what was that?” John said, looking at the road and looking at her too.

“It was a computerized voice that said SIT three times.” She said, leaning up to the glove compartment, “ It’s . . .Locke’s special code for Survivors In Trouble.”

“Survivors in . .. “ John’s eyes began to widen, “Does that mean . . .we’re ALL getting attacked?”

“It has to be.” The Lakota grunted as he pulled out an envelope marked SIT in magic marker, “ Locke created the program in case something very bad happened to all of us. I haven’t been able to get Kate all morning.”

“She never came back?” the archer gasped.

“No. We have to assume . . . .they got her and Jack. John . . .open this . .”

John pulled the truck to an abrupt stop at the side of the street. He quickly ripped open the sealed envelope. He looked at the contents, blinking. “What is it . ..John?” Mia said, trying to hold her eyes open.

“It’s a map with directions,” he looked them over, “To . . Vatigo Beach, just south of Los Angeles.”

“Hurley’s Beach house.” Mia whispered.

“What?” the archer looked at her.

“Locke . . .wanted to make sure . . .we had a safe house . . .Hurley purchased it . . .stocked it full of supplies . . . We need to go there . .John, the . . .others will be waiting.”

“Mia, that’s crazy!” John stammered, “If we are all getting hit, then there is no way we’ll know who there. I got to get you to Tony to help you!”

“He’ll . . .be there.”

“HOW? How do you know that?” he said, nearly on the verge of breaking down.

Mia smiled. She reached up and stroked her husband’s cheek; leaving a small smudge of blood on him. “Because . . .I have faith, John.” She smiled.

John took his wife’s hand and held it closer. She always had her faith and sometimes, it was so powerful it was enough for her whole family. If she had faith that Tony would be waiting for them, then he would believe it too. He held onto her hand as he got back into the traffic and then proceeded onto the highway toward Vatigo Beach. Mia closed her eyes again, leaning her head back. “DON’T YOU DIE ON ME, MIA!” John screamed, trying to force her to stay awake.

“Kamiyama.” She whispered.

“What?” the archer stammered, “Who . .who is that again?”

“Recruiter for a private school . . .but he probably works for Dharma.” She coughed, “He’s probably responsible for telling them . . .about us.”

Mia’s eyes then went wide open. John looked at her and could see the fires in her eyes. “I’m not going to die, John,” she said, squeezing his hand, “I have to live long enough . . . . . .to kill that man.”